Bullish Rugby Australia (RA) boss Hamish McLennan called Peter V’landys and other NRL power backs “cry babies” after Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii’s shock code change sparked a wave of criticism.
It comes after V’landys, chairman of the ARL Commission, criticized the Roosters star for seeking “easy money”, before stating he would be “bored terribly” and return to rugby league.
“It’s hard to blame Joseph for going to rugby and looking at it as his future when he’s going to get paid double for doing half the job,” V’landys told The Associated Press. Sydney Morning Herald on Sunday.
‘Also, I really think that after Joseph plays rugby for a while, he’ll get terribly bored and go back to rugby league. That’s what most code-switching players do.
That drew a stern rebuke from the enthusiastic Rugby Australia chairman McLennan, with the union supremo slamming V’landys as “childish”.
Roosters NRL superstar Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii (left), pictured with junior rugby teammate Angus Crichton (right), has sparked a storm of public controversy by switching to the 15-man code.
ARL Commission Chairman Peter V’landys has been labeled a “cry baby” for publicly complaining about Suaalii’s defection from the rugby union and accusing him of chasing “easy money”.
“What a bunch of cry babies,” McLennan said. the aussie.
They have completely thrown their toys out of the crib. They can say what they want, but we will not be intimidated.
From the man who has already lured Eddie Jones back to coach the Wallabies and convinced one of rugby league’s most talented youngsters in a decade to join the union, that’s quite the statement.
McLennan said there was one very important feature of the rugby union cap that would appeal to league players: it’s a global game.
‘Our elite players will earn more. We are in a different league as we are global with over 800 million people following the game and it is played in over 100 countries,” he said.
‘Our boys travel twice as internationally and have twice as much fun.’
The fact that there is a World Cup in Australia in 2027 and a once-in-a-lifetime chance to play the visiting British and Irish Lions in 2025 was clearly enough of a carrot to entice Suaalii.
Hamish McLennan (left, pictured after Rugby Australia landed a big coup with signing Eddie Jones (centre)) says rugby union attracts players because it has far more international travel than the league
Suaalii starred as a fullback for famed rugby union nursery Kings in Sydney, set to return to code after the 2024 NRL season
Rugby league power brokers such as Peter V’landys (right) and Andrew Abdo (right) have been criticized by RA for ‘childish’ public comments
The 19-year-old Roosters superstar signed with the Wallabies and Waratahs on a $1.6 million a year contract, which will begin after the 2024 season.
He starred as fullback for Sydney’s prestigious school, the famed Kings Nursery, just three years ago, also representing NSW and the Australian Schoolboys in Sevens.
Suaalii will be looking for the poacher the coveted no. 15 when he returns to the union, but his Roosters teammate Brandon Smith joked that there was only one motivation to change.
“Once he’s built $3 million worth of houses, he’ll be back and hopefully back to the Roosters,” he joked to reporters on Sunday.
‘That $1.6m could have been better spent on rugby grassroots than signing our beautiful young Suaalii… a $1.6m winger from the Roosters isn’t going to help (the Wallabies ) to beat the All Blacks.
“I guess it’s an opportunity for him to take care of his loved ones and his family… he’s extremely professional, extremely humble. I’m just hoping to get some feeds from that.
Suaalii (pictured) has faced brutal criticism from a Roosters teammate Brandon Smith who jokes that he thinks he will return to the NRL once he “builds $3m worth of houses”.
McLennan admitted that poaching the talented youngster, who made his Roosters debut aged just 17, could have some setback for the code; but he was confident that rugby union could retain the best and the brightest, unlike the NRL.
“They’re definitely going to try to take out someone like Max (Jorgensen),” McLennan said.
“But we love him and his contract renewal will be when he is about to play in the Lions Tour and then the Rugby World Cup in 2027, which the league simply cannot compete with.”
The 18-year-old Jorgensen has been lauded as a prodigious back-line talent for many years in rugby circles, and after finally making his debut for the Waratahs in this Super Rugby Pacific season, he has more than lived up to the hype.
He scored a brace on his debut against the Brumbies, and has since been moved to no. 15 from the wing after the Waratahs attacking woes to start the season.
Waratahs’ wunderkind Max Jorgensen has a great future, but will he face a battle to land a fullback jersey when Suaalii changes?
The teen genius’ best long-term position is believed to be at fullback, setting up a potential battle with Suaalii down the road, but RA and the Waratahs have moved to sign him up long-term to keep him in the 15-man code.
We will do everything we can to keep Max. He is with us until 2024 and we have already offered him an extension…he is considering it,” Waratahs manager Darren Coleman told the Sydney Morning Herald.
‘But the other question is what position does Joseph play? I have not met [him] yet and was not involved in the negotiations, but from what I have seen, he would have the skill set to play outside centre, wing or wing.
“You can never have too many good players, you can always find a way.”
The Waratahs take on their fierce rivals, the Brumbies, in a Super Rugby blockbuster on Saturday night, while the Reds host New Zealand powerhouses, the Crusaders, on Friday night in what will be another delicious round of rugby union.
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